I'll Come to Love You
by BonnibellParker
Summary: Lance's family is coming to visit to finally meet the boyfriend he'd been bragging about for months. The problem? He isn't actually dating anyone, and the one he claimed was...is actually his best friend. Can they make the relationship believable? Or will it crash and burn?
1. Chapter 1

The day had started off like any other. Lance had woken up, made himself some breakfast and got ready for the day. The day was going like any other, until lunch came around that was. His mother had called. It wasn't unusual, he was use to calls from his mom, it happened at least a few times a year. What he wasn't expecting was that she had made plans to visit. Specifically to finally meet the boyfriend Lance had always bragged about.

It wouldn't have been a problem, except that he wasn't actually dating anyone and the person he'd made his parents believe he was dating was actually just his roommate of two years. He didn't know what to do, or say. He couldn't tell his parents he'd lied for the past year about his relationship, but he didn't know how Shiro would react to finding out he'd claimed him as his boyfriend of a year.

Allura had picked up that something was wrong when he'd hung up his phone, immediately growing concerned. "Something wrong, Lance? You look pale. Did...something happen?" Lance shook his head, feigning a smile.

"N-no. Um...it's just...my parents are visiting." He said quietly, staring at the table of the cafe they were in.

"Well that isn't so bad. Your family sounds lovely,from what you'd told me about them." She smiled, confused as to why he was worried.

"It isn't" He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "...Allura I haven't exactly been honest with them for the past year." She only grew more confused, tilting her head to the side.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly. He sighed, taking a deep breath before meeting her gaze.

"I...may have told them that I've been dating Shiro...for a year." His voice came out more quiet than he intended, letting his head fall into his hands. He hated having to lie to his parents, but ever since he'd moved, they'd been hounding him about if he'd been dating anyone yet. He just wanted them to stop, before his mother tried to set him up again. Allura laughed at his confession, shaking her head at her friend.

"Well...you could always tell Shiro. He's a great friend, I'm sure he'd help you out." Lance sighed, his shoulders slumping at the thought of having to have that talk to him about it.

"But what if he doesn't and he ends up hating me? I live with him and don't exactly want to be kicked out."

"Or, maybe he'll be understanding." Allura assured, hugging Lance. "And there's always the option of telling your-"

"No!" He cut her off, snapping his head up to look at her. "No. No I can't do that. They'd definitely set me up on a date then. Or be disappointed and angry. I'll just...I'll talk to him." He said, feeling defeated. He checked his phone, biting at his bottom lip before getting up. "He's probably home now. They're flying over tomorrow night." Allura nodded, getting up with him. "Well, good luck." She gave him another hug before they left, Lance walking home anxiously.

When he got home, he let his bag fall to the floor and took another calming breath. "Hey, Shiro? You home?" Shiro poked his head out from his room, smiling when he saw Lance.

"Hey. Yeah, something up?" He asked, walking into the living room to meet Lance.

"Uh...yeah. I gotta talk to you about something." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Okay?" He started to feel concerned as he sat down.

"Okay. Promise you won't freakout." Lance started, starting to pace. "So...my parents are gonna be flying out here to visit me for a month."

"What's so wrong with that? That sounds great." Shiro stated, confused.

"Yeah, it would be if I hadn't told them that for the past year we've been dating." He said more quickly, feeling his anxiety grow more. "And it's totally understandable if you get angry or wanna kick me out. It was wrong of me to do this." He continued on, starting to panic more.

"Lance."

"And I'd totally understand if you want to stop being friends over this, I mean who wouldn't."

"Lance."

"Which would suck because you're one of my closest friends on campus and losing you would really hurt a lot."

"Lance!" Shiro finally yelled, walking to him and grabbing his shoulders to make him stop pacing. Lance looked up, finally giving his attention to Shiro."It's fine." Shiro assured him, smiling.

"Wait, what?" Lance asked in shock, his eyes growing wide.

"I don't mind helping. Really." He repeated, letting his arms fall to his side.

"Wh...are...o...kay." Lance was in awe, not believing it went so well. A small smile crept onto his face, sighing in relief. "Thank you, really Shiro. You have no idea how much this means to me." Shiro shrugged, turning to go back to his room.

"That's what friends are for." He said before shutting his door, smiling widely to himself. Unknown to Lance, Shiro had developed a crush on Lance over the past two years they'd known each other. They'd become close friends after Allura had introduced them the first day of school, enjoying the upbeat and outgoing nature of Lance. He was going to enjoy getting to pretend to be with Lance, even if it was just for a month.


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning was anything but calm for Lance. He'd barely gotten any sleep, still worrying if he and Shiro could pull this off for an entire month. He'd still had a few classes to attend that morning, feeling exhausted already. He reluctantly got out of bed, going to change and leave. Shiro had spent his morning cleaning up the guest room for Lance's parents, making breakfast when Lance came out of the room. Shiro glanced up, smiling at him. "I see you got no sleep."

"Yeah, well it's hard to sleep when you're worring yourself all night." He mumbled, yawning.

"It'll be fine, Lance. It shouldn't be that hard to pull this off. It's just like acting like friends, right? Just...more intimate."

"Yeah...I guess." He grabbed his bag, walking to the door. "I'll see you in a few hours." And with that he left, Shiro finishing up his breakfast and going off to classes.

Lance spend his day trying to come up with believable lies to anything his parents might ask. It wouldn't be hard for him to answer, it was having Shiro remember everything he'd just thought up. When he'd gotten home, he'd written up all the answers, leaving the note on the kitchen counter while he went to finish cleaning up the house. Thankfully he and Shiro lived off campus, so they wouldn't run into anyone that wasn't aware of their plan.

Shiro came home a little while later, going to put his bag in his room. He grabbed the note on the way, reading over it. He chuckled, quickly memorizing it and tossing it on the bed with his bag. He walked out of his room as Lance finished the guest room, smiling to him. "You realize we'll have to share a room to make this more believable."

"Well...yeah...I just...well...what are we gonna tell them about...the empty room?" Lance asked, not having that over.

"We could always ask Allura to live with us for the next month. Or Hunk. They're the most reliable. At least I think so." He stated, leaning back against the wall, crossing his arms.

"Right..." Lance nodded, checking his phone for the time. "Let's ask Allura, I don't wanna have to involve Hunk. She already knows anyway...and helped me come up with some of the backstory." Lance added, going into the kitchen to see what they could make for dinner.

"And which room is she going to stay in? I would say she could stay in mine, but my bed is far bigger. Would fit two people." Shiro told him, following after him. Lance groaned, turning to face him.

"We could fit in mine if we tried. I don't want her to go through my stuff."

"I'd love to agree Lance, but you don't have nearly enough room for the both of us." Shiro stated, leaning back into the kitchen counter. "So I would suggest hiding anything she might mess with, or trust that she'll leave it alone."

"Fine." Lance agreed reluctantly. "Maybe Allura can make dinner while we get them." He said, pulling his phone out to call her and walking to his room.


	3. Chapter 3

The minutes dragged on as Lance waited at the airport for his parents. He was starting to regret even suggesting the idea, even if Shiro insisted it was okay. What if they got found out? Shiro was standing beside him, glancing to Lance. "Lance, relax." He said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be fine."

"We don't know that. What if they find us out? How are we gonna explain ourselves?" Lance asked, fidgeting with the ends of his jacket.

"I don't think they will find out. Besides if anything happens, Allura will help save us. She always does." Shiro assured him, smiling sweetly at him. Lance sighed, nodding his head. His calm only lasted a few moments before he started to panic again, this time a fake smile plastering itself onto his face.

"Mom. Dad." He walked over to the older couple approaching them, his mother pulling him into a hug.

"Oh it's so great to see you again." She said, kissing his cheek before she looked to Shiro. "And this must be the guy you've told me all about. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. He's told me so much about you." Shiro smirked, glancing over to Lance who began to blush.

"Oh has he now? I hope they were good things." He said, hugging Lance's mother.

"Oh, of course. Sometimes he wouldn't shut up about you, I swear." Lance sighed, burying his hands into his face.

"Mom, please." He whined, feeling mortified. He knew this was a bad idea.

"Why don't we get your bags so we can get home. Our friend, Allura, probably has dinner almost done." Shiro said, leading them to baggage claim to collect their things. When they finally got their luggage, they made their way to the car, Shiro putting their things into the trunk while everyone got in. He drove them home, Lance's parents talking the whole way...well his mother. She talked about everyone at home, how they missed him and couldn't wait to hear about the boy they'd only heard rumors about.

By the time they got home, Lance already felt exhausted. Lance led them in while Shiro got their bags, showing them to the guest room. Allura smiled, walking over to greet them. "Oh hello. You must be Mr. and Mrs. McClain." She said happily, giving them both a quick hug. "It's good to finally meet you. I think I've only ever spoken to your mom over the phone."

"It's great to finally meet you, too." His mother said, glancing at the made table. "Dinner smells great."

"Oh thank you, I had a friend over to help. He's better at cooking than I ever could be." She said, glancing to Shiro when he walked in. She walked over, helping him with the bags. "Go ahead and start eating. I'm sure you both are starving after your long flight." Lance sat with his parents, wishing the day would end. Shiro and Allura soon joined them, everyone eating in a comfortable silence for awhile.

After dinner was finished, they said their goodnight, Shiro and Lance going to their room for the month. Lance groaned, falling face flat in the bed. "I can already tell this is gonna be a rough month."

"I think it'll be fun." Shiro said, getting changed into more comfortable clothes. "Besides, you've already convinced them I'm the best boyfriend. I didn't even know we went on a vacation over the summer." He teased, smirking at Lance. "I'm pretty sure we just laid around the house." Lance groaned again, rolling onto his back.

"I forgot about that one." He sighed. "At least half the time will be filled with school or work. But we still have to plan something for them to do. I don't want them to get too bored."

"Well there are a few things we can do, but nothing too expensive. We still have to be able to afford to live." Shiro stated, laying down beside Lance. "Our jobs don't pay all that great." Lance nodded, getting up to go through the clothes he'd put in Shiros room. He got dressed, laying down.

"Let's just sleep. It's been a stressedful day." He said before closing his eyes. This was going to be a long month.


	4. Chapter 4

Lance woke up the next morning, going to get out of bed but finding it harder than usual. It felt as if something was holding him, but he didn't remember going to bed with anyone. Then it hit him. The day before, his parents, and suddenly he found himself blushing bright red. Shiro had wrapped his arms around him in his sleep. Lance tenses up, slowly maneuvering his way out of Shiros arms. Luckily, he didn't wake him, Lance sighing in relief. He quietly, snuck out of the room and shut the door, making his way into the kitchen. His parents had already been up, Allura making waffles for breakfast. Lance's mother smiled when she saw him up, going over and hugging him. Lance smiled, hugging her back. "Morning, Mom. Did you sleep okay?"

"Like a dream. That guest bedrooms bed is soft." She smiled, pulling away. "Shiro still isn't up?" Lance shook his head, going to sit at the table.

"He usually doesn't get up till the afternoon. His job is usually in the evening, so he doesn't get home till 2 am. Luckily he had yesterday off, but he still sleeps in." Lance told her.

"We have today off." Allura started, finishing breakfast and starting to serve everyone. "And since it's the 4th of July, why don't we go find a good place to watch fireworks. Maybe Hunk can barbecue for us too." She suggested, sitting down with everyone.

"Barbecue sounds great." Lance's father smiled, starting to eat. "I can make some of my famous ribs and steak." Lance smiled, nodding.

"Yeah. You could..." He was hesitant on the idea, they'd have to tell Hunk about their plan so he wouldn't confused. Damn, Allura, for suggesting such a thing.

It was another hour or two before Shiro made his way out of his room. He greeting everyone with a smile, heating himself some leftover waffles. "Good Morning, Shiro." Allura said, cleaning off the table. "We made plans for a barbecue then fireworks for later." He nodded, sitting down with his breakfast (now lunch).

"Sounds good. Are we inviting over everyone?" He asked. Lance mentally groaned, realizing they may ask everyone to come. He let his head fall to the table, sighing. Shiro looked over, chuckling. "You doing okay, Lance?" He didn't say anything, only giving him a thumbs up. Allura laughed, walking over to Lance. She bent down to whisper in his ear so only he can hear.

"I've already told everyone. So you don't have to explain anything." She patted his shoulder before going to her 'room' to get ready for the day. He lightly hit his head on the table before sitting up.

"We might as well. If we left anyone out...namely Keith" he mumbled Keith to himself, "then we wouldn't hear the end of it." Shiro nodded. Lance got up, going to go to Shiros room to get changed.

Allura came out, texting everyone to come over later that afternoon. She cleaned the rest of the kitchen, waiting for everyone to get ready before they all headed off to get supplies for the sudden barbecue party. When they got home, they set up the backyard, Hunk and Coran coming over an hour later to help cook some of the food.

"Hey, Hunk! Coran!" Allura greeted the two with a hug, Lance coming over.

"Hey guys."

"Hey, Lance. I hear you and Shiro are a thing now." He teased, smirking to his friend. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I thought I was your best friend." Lance groaned, running a hand down his face.

"Well I think you two are a great couple, even if you aren't...ya know." Coran added, walking towards the kitchen.

"Can you keep it down? My parents might hear..." Lance sighed, following Hunk into the kitchen. "Keith will never let me live this down."

"Neither will Pidge." Allura added, sitting on the stool near the kitchen counter that over looked the living/dining area. "So I know a place for great firework watching. But we'll have to leave hear around 5 or 5:30 to get a decent spot to park." Lance nodded, leaning back on the counter and chatting with Hunk. His mother came in a little later, carrying a tray of finished ribs.

"Oh, Hello." His mother smiled, setting the tray on the set up table. "Who are these two?"

"This is Hunk. Friends since the beginning of Freshman year." Lance said, gesturing to Hunk who waved. "And that is Coran. He owns the cafe me and Allura work at, and the coolest boss I know. Also friends since freshman." Lance stated, smiling as he then gestured to Coran.

"A pleasure to meet ya." Coran smiled to her. She smiled back, crossing her arms. "A Brit I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, and you as well Hunk. Lance likes to talk about your excellent cooking skills. Can't wait to try some of your food myself." Hunk smiled widely, nodding.

It would be another hour before everything finished, Keith and Pidge showing up just before everyone was ready to eat. They all decided to eat outside to watch a few of the neighbors light off fireworks, Keith and Pidge teasing Lance a little here and there. It was fun, and a little adorable, seeing Lance blush and get flustered, something rare to see. Shiro found it the most amusing, smiling when no one was paying attention as he watched Lance. The more he was...him...the more Shiro fell. He was cute, confident, funny, and had his fair share of insecurities that only Shiro really ever saw.

By the time 5 rolled around, they were full, putting away all left overs and getting ready to head off. Coran had left the group, having prior plans with another friend. So the 6 of the them, plus Lances' parents head off to Allura's suggested spot, driving around to find parking. When they finally did, Lance's father and Shiro unloaded the blankets and headed off with the rest to set up to watch. It was admittedly a fun day for Lance, his parents were visiting and they had a party full of friends. He was at peace for the first time in days. The stress of work, school, and their plan hanging on his shoulders. He smiled to himself, watching peacefully as the fireworks show began. The bright colored explosions flairing in the air, the booms being toned out. Shiro sat beside him, barely paying attention to the show. His attention was on Lance, and his parents couldn't help but smile as they watched him admire their son. What they saw was real love, real admiration. They were happy Lance finally found someone so nice, so kind.

Allura smiled to herself, watching Shiro and Lance. She was the only one that knew, and she hoped by the end of their little charade, they'd figure out their feelings for each other.


End file.
